Barton Phoenix

[TonyW]

Anyone know where the ex Paul Hanson Derbyshire Barton Phoenix is nowadays ? the only others I recall are Nigel Rollason's and I seem to remember being in the same races as Colin Hopper back in '81/'82 at Aintree & Oulton who also raced one.

[paulsparkie]

Hi Tony,that one of Colin Hoppers got sold to Brian Wilson and it was at Aintree,Colin did a lot of work on that to get it go quick, I ordered one myself but cancelled as Barry Hart if I remember could not deliver it on time.so bought a yam.They had lots of issues when they were sold from memory,think Paul had his share when he purchased it.

[ianw]

Wal Saunders had a couple of engines if I remember right?????

[paulsparkie]

http://www.motorsport-imagery.com/p710576524/e2d6ff442

[TonyW]

Thanks Paul, jogged my memory now, yes I remember also Brian Wilson riding one (think it was in a Rumble chassis), Graham Gleeson's name seems to ring a bell also regarding the Armstrong motor.

[ianw]

John Swindlehurst from the Wirral had a Barton Pheonix engine in a chassis built by I think John Rae, the chassis had a parrallelogram rear swing arm.
The year, 1977-1978.

[TonyW]

Thanks Ian, another name from the past there, plus also chassis builder John Rae, any idea how many bikes John Rae built ? I remember Des Founds used to run a Rae chassis at one time, good times & good memories from back then ............

[ianw]

Hi Tony, I'm not sure how many chassis John built, but when ever I went round in the 70's, 80's & 90's there was one on the jig. Short one's & long one's,
He built a tubular long one with LCR running gear for Ray Thomas of SRT Motorcycles.
He built chassis for Gary Bryan, Bill Currie, Chris Williams, Dave Kruse, maybe Tony Peters aswell amongst others.
He was still making then / altering them up till he sadly past away. He was always working on something. Last time I was round there he was working on an NSU solo that belonged to John Flaxman.
Sad loss.

[ianw]

Tony, I may be getting mixed up
The bike with the parrallogram swing arm that John built might have been for Dave Kruse & Dave Rawlings???
Age creaping up

[TonyW]

Thanks Ian, great info, yes there was a lot of John's chassis around and yes he was a sad loss as a chassis builder. I wonder how many of his bikes are actually still around ? or sadly rotting away under tarpaulins !!

Don't worry about the age thing ........ I suffer with it nowadays also